The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-11-02
SPEECH BY GLADSTONE.
Demanding a Statutory Parlia.
ment for the Irish People.
The British Minister Severely Ar
raigned by the Ex-Premier.

The Congress Of the Liberal Federation
opened the other day at Nottingham Eng
land. Ex-Premier Gladstone made speech,
in which he reviewed the situation in Ireland
and denounced the British Government for
the manner in which it was dealing with the
Irish question. His rising to speak was the
signal for loud and prolonged cheering.
Mr.. Gladstone said he would tell them
plainly that he was not there to say smooth
things 1t was deplorabie fact that the set
tling Of the great Irish question, might have
been settled last year had their been dispo.
sition to discuss it in spirit Of candor and
fairness, had been again set aside and was still
pending, its difficulties aggravated and its
prospects uncertain. He had always told the
Conservatives that the choice lay between
coercion ani home rule. The Conservatives
had told them that. home rule was an idle
dream, but events had shown that it was
not
A coercion bill had been passed against
combinations, against the liberty Of the press
and the right Of public meeting, and not
against crime. The Irish spectacle was row
q grave and serious one, and if it continued it
would drive Ireland into such state that
the difficulties of the Government would be-
come almost insurmountable.
Mr.. Gladstone denied that he proposed home
rule simply to advance Liberal interests. 1t
was doubtful, he said, whether the Tories ac-
cepted home rule in its broad principles
in the same way that they accepted his
proposals in 1872 and in 1888 He
wanted a statutory Parliament in Dublin,
subject to imperial control There was
nothing to prevent any reasonable man from
agreeing with the Liberals Irish proposals
without reference to this or that particular
or detail The immediate necessity Of the
day was to watch the way in which Ireland
was now governed.
If the government persisted in their rash
and foolish policy it would naturally lead to
political decentralization, and render it in the
highest degree difficult, even for Englishmen
and Parliament truly representing their
best and most enlightened conclusions, to deal
rapidly and benelicially with Ireland. Only
one word could describe the present system
of Irish government. 1t was 'impertinence. "
The events of the last few weeks in Ire
land would not have been tolerated in Eng
land. He condemned the action OF the
authorities at Mitchellstown. He admitted
having used the words, Remember Mitch
ellstownW The affair must and would be
remembered, The country had an account
to settle with the government in con-
nection with that affair. The Mitchellstown
authorities were undoubtedly wrong, yet Mr..
Balfour, in behalf of the Government, un-
equivocally assumed the responsibility for
their acts The worst feature of the
Mitchellstown incident was that the action
of the authorities there had become model
and pattern for the whole of Ireland
The whole system of government in Ireland
required to be thoroughly reformed root and
branch. There had been break down in the
Government in all essentials A radical
change was wanted. and such a change an
enfranchised nation alone could accomplish.
Mr.. Gladstone drew glowing picture in
defence of his administration Of the law in
Ireland and elsewhere in the Empire He ex-
pressed himself as perfectly confident that il
q general election were held Immediately il
would result in the return Of a Parliament
resolved to do Justice to Ireland.